At Fabbioli we enjoyed the food pairing wine tasting. Of the wines tasted our favorites were the recently released 2012 Tre Sorelle and the Governor’s Cup Gold winner 2011 Tannat. The Tre Sorelle presented violet, cherry, and dried herb notes while the bigger Tannat showed smoke, plum, and clove flavors. We can see why it won a gold.

After our tasting we got a chance to chat with Doug Fabbioli about his new plantings and other things wine. He informed us that he had just recently planted sangiovese in the vineyard closest to the road that leads to the winery. We also enjoyed the views and the new pergola while enjoying a glass of the 2013 Something White and the 2012 Tre Sorelle.

Next we visited The Vineyards and Winery at Lost Creek. Here we enjoyed the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay and the 2011 Genesis. The 2012 Reserve Chardonnay gave us notes of pear, citrus, and honey. It had a nice mouth feel with a fuller body. We noted tobacco and earthy notes on the 2011 Genesis. We enjoyed a glass of the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay after our tasting. We also had the chance to taste the new 2012 Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Both show promise but could use a little more time on your wine rack.

Our final visit was to Creek’s Edge Winery. This one was new to us so we were curious to see what they had on the tasting menu. Creek’s Edge Winery has a gorgeous new building atop a sloped hill with a vineyard that sits right in front of the building. It was obvious to us the building was built with group events in mind. When we arrived we were the only ones in the tasting room so we got all the attention from new winemaker Melanie Natoli. Her volunteer wine pourer walked us through the current release of wines. There were five wines on the tasting menu. We found out that Ben Renshaw made these five wines but Melanie would be taking on the next vintage of wines released. Of the wines tasted we enjoyed the 2011 Cabernet Franc with its raspberry, cherry, and spice notes. We also enjoyed the 2009 Chambourcin. This one presented smoke, ripe berry, anise, and a smooth oak finish. Creek’s Edge is heading in the right direction and we’ll plan to visit them again in the future.

If you visit any of the wineries mentioned, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

This is the only way to describe our Saturday afternoon at Glen Manor Vineyards. We both had a hectic week and looked forward to a relaxing getaway even if only for the afternoon. We decided to head out to Glen Manor Vineyards with a picnic in tow; we did not regret the decision.

Our picnic required the perfect wine; of course, we had to taste them all to find out which one would partner with lunch. Our decision came down to two of them: the crisp 2013 Sauvignon Blanc and the dry 2013 Morales Rose. The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc continues the tradition of excellent results with the Sauvignon Blanc grape at Glen Manor Vineyards. It presented grassy notes with flavors of citrus and a crisp finish. Perfect for the afternoon that we had planned, and even better with shellfish. The 2013 Morales Rose is a blend of red grapes that include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. This rose is done in the Provence style—dry with lots of strawberry and melon flavors with a crisp finish. It screams summer yet is versatile enough to consider with a fall or holiday menu.

So what was our decision? It was a close call, but we nabbed a bottle of the 2013 Morales Rose to enjoy with a variety of deli meats, cheeses, and crackers. We found a perfect shady spot beneath a canvass canopy, and the Adirondack chairs allowed us the comfort to sip and nibble as we enjoyed the gorgeous view that encompassed mountain slopes, vineyards, and grassy knolls from which birds and butterlies fluttered about. We decided to linger for as long as possible; if we had brought pillows and blankets, we might have taken naps! It was truly an Ahhhhh experience of excellent wine, delicious snacks, and relaxing landscapes.

Consider your own Ahhhh moment at Glen Manor Vineyards. Remember to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

I attended the Wines of America event hosted by WineAmerica, an advocacy group that “serves the interests of wineries in all 50 states by leveraging its formidable grassroots strength to benefit the entire industry.” The event was held at the Longworth House Office Building, and this year 25 wineries participated in the event. These included wineries from the Northeast, Midwest, and Rocky Mountains. Yes, wines are made in states other than California, Washington, Oregon—and Virginia. Here is a brief wrap up of some standouts:

And how do wineries participate in this event? Public Affairs Director Michael Kaiser explained to me that WineAmerica puts out an all call to the state winery associations to send wines, and WineAmerica members also contribute wines to the event. The goal is to get at least 20 states to represent their wines at the event; needless to say, that goal was exceeded in 2014. I sampled wines from Georgia, Iowa, New Mexico and Texas. It was exciting to observe (and taste) the ever-expanding wine industry in America.

The event was well attended, and I was able to chat with wine critics Dave McIntyre and Richard Leahy who were also in swirling and sipping across America. I was also able to stand out on the building’s porch to enjoy a gorgeous view of the Capitol building; from here, I could also witness a spectacular horizon. Did I take any pictures? Well, Paul the photographer did not come along, and though I brought a camera with me, I neglected to snap a few shots. Use your imaginations—it was a lovely spring evening in the nation’s capital.

I did not get to taste every wine that was being poured, and yes, I did taste wines from Maryland and Virginia; however, we write about those wine all of the time. I though it would be an educational experience to focus on wines outside of my own comfort zone. Every state in the country boasts at least one winery; plan to visit any of the wineries mentioned in this post while travelling this summer. Be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

What a lovely Sunday we all just enjoyed! Paul and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and packed a light picnic lunch to enjoy in the Bishop’s Garden adjacent to the National Cathedral. Once there, we secured a private bench located just above the rose garden; a heavenly blue sky was speckled with fluffy white clouds and young green leaves swayed to the gentle flow of a refreshing breeze. The scent of blossoms fragranced the air as cerulean and lavender hued petals accented the landscape. As we unpacked our simple lunch that consisted of turkey and ham sandwiches spiced with peach chutney, the cathedral bells began to peal and announced that mid day had arrived. Of course, a bottle of Virginia wine enhanced the pleasant overload of sensory experiences. What did we bring along with us? The appropriately labeled Melange Blanc 2013 from Delaplane Cellars. The mélange (or blend) includes Chardonnay, Viognier, and Petit Manseng. Soft peach and pear notes were met with a whiff of citrus; tropical fruit flavors and a hint of almond at the finish presented a nice yet refreshing feel in the mouth. Paul recorded a brief recollection of our experience that you can enjoy below.

Plan your own blend of sensory experiences, and be sure to mention them to us. Perhaps you can do this while sampling the latest pours at Delaplane Cellars; after all, they do have a gorgeous view. If that is the plan, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

We recently visited Gray Ghost Vineyards. We tasted the most recently releases and had a chance to hang out and enjoy a bottle of Reserve Chardonnay. I decided to shoot a little video for a YouTube video. Some of the footage is shaky because is was a very windy day.

Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, and it was certainly a great day to spend with Mom on Mother’s Day. We made certain to make our Moms feel special on Mother’s Day; however, we also made time spend with our friend, Duwayne. Duwayne enjoys Virginia wines, and the three of us had a wonderful afternoon enjoying nice wines, simple nibbles, and lovely springtime views at Chrysalis Vineyards.

We were in the mood for a crisp white wine, and the 2012 Albarino was our wine of choice after our tasting. Initial notes of stone and mineral led to flavors of citrus and peach. Sur lees fermentation provided a nice mouth feel, and it announced that spring is here! I’m always a fan of the Viognier, Chrysalis’ flagship white wine. Lush floral aromas with peach and pear notes and a fuller mouth feel make for another classic from Chrysalis. Favorite red wines? We all preferred the 2012 Locksley Reserve Norton that is a blend of Norton, Tannat, Petit Verdot, and Nebbbiolo. Still young with lots of smoky aromas, tobacco notes and oaky nuances. Dark plum and berry flavors too—buy now and enjoy later!

With a bottle of the 2012 Albarino in hand, we feasted on sliced deli meats, cheese, baguette and crackers. Great wine, simple fare, and good friends—a perfect way to spend a lovely afternoon. We also saw lots of Moms at the winery, and we know that their day was made extra special with a bottle of Chrysalis wine. Visit Chrysalis soon—mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you. And check out the video below from our visit to Chrysalis.

Yes, spring is here and summer is not too far away; in fact, we’ve already purchased some of our tickets for upcoming Wolftrap concerts. Of course, we need Virginia wines to enjoy out on the lawn. We found some wines that we will be bringing along with us at 8 Chains North.

The white blend called LoCo Vino is always a summer favorite, and we enjoyed the 2012 vintage. This was a blend of Vidal Blanc (45%), Traminette (35%) and Sauvignon Blanc (20%). Citrus notes prevailed with a twist of lemon in the mouth; it was crisp too. Perfect for a warm evening with light cheeses, fresh fruit, and a crab cake! We’re big rose fans, and we did like the dry 2012 Pink Link made from Merlot; these were grown in the Furnace Mountain vineyard. Notes of strawberries and spice were evident; I detected a creamy notes too. We’d pair this with anything in the picnic basket.

Grilled meats should pair well with the 2012 Furnace Mountain Red, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Tannat. Initial aromas of coffee and caramel led to notes of blackberry and cherry. Nice now but readers may opt to age for a bit to enjoy with heartier fare during autumn. During our tasting our wine friends Kurt and Carol from Wine About Virginia entered the tasting room. It was great to see them and they joined our tasting.

We enjoyed a glass of the 2012 LoCo Vino after our tasting and then made certain to purchase bottles of our favorites. Plan a visit to 8 Chains North and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

After the wonderful vertical tasting we had at Breaux Vineyards, we headed down the road a bit to a new winery in western Loudoun County, Two Twisted Posts Winery. Several of our wine friends had already visited Two Twisted Posts so it was our turn to find out about this new winery and taste the wines. Another reason for visiting Two Twisted Posts was because their 2012 Chardonnay won a gold medal in the Governor’s Cup and is included in the Governor’s Case!

Currently Two Twisted Posts is only open two weekends a month. They are working on a tasting space in the winery facility and have plans to build a separate tasting room in the future. Right now they taste in a tent set up at the end of the parking lot. Owners Brad and Theresa Robertson are passionate about their wines and about creating an experience for wine tasters. We were lucky enough to begin our tasting with Theresa at one of the barrels just under the tent. We began with the 2011 Chardonnay (which we both enjoyed very much) and then moved on to the gold medal winning 2012 Chardonnay. The 2012 spent 10 months in French and American oak. We noted pear, pineapple, honey and a buttery finish. While tasting the chardonnays with Theresa, we found out that Tom Payette is their consultant. That certainly explains the quality of the chardonnays. We are big fans of Tom’s work. We seem to always enjoy a wine that Tom has his hand in making.

We then moved to the tasting “bar” to finish our tasting with one of Theresa’s sons. Here we tasted the only non-sweet red wine they had available…the 2011 Cabernet Franc. We noted smokey notes, blackberries, pepper, and dried herbs. During this part of the tasting we found out Two Twisted Posts also has a Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot that won’t be released until sometime next year. We look forward to tasting those when they are released. All of their reds won silver medals at the Governor’s Cup.

Brad and Theresa planted their three acres of vines in 2008. They currently have chardonnay, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and traminette. They plan to plant an additional two acres this spring. The current line up of wines were made with grapes purchased from vineyards in western Loudoun County.

We certainly enjoyed our time at Two Twisted Posts Winery. And we were happy to make this winery visited number 168! We think they are off to a good start and hope to watch them continue to succeed in the future. We will have to plan another visit once they have a tasting room complete and those red wines on their tasting menu. Until then, plan a trip to Two Twisted Posts Winery and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

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Wine tasting is an activity to be enjoyed by adults. We neither support nor condone the consumption of alcohol by minors.

Virginia Wine Time is a wine blog written by two wine enthusiasts who enjoy Virginia wine. Warren is the writer and Paul is the photographer and webmaster. All content and photographs are property of Virginia Wine Time and may not be used without prior permission.